October 28, 2022

Adamawa Government says it has recorded no fewer than 197 cases of cholera, with two deaths across the six affected local government areas of the state.

Director of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Dr Celine Laori, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Yola.

She identified the affected local government areas as: Shelleng, Guyuk, Yola North, Yola South, Numan and Girei, saying that the two deaths were recorded in Guyuk and Shelleng.

Laori said that the government had intervened and provided relevant drugs and other preventive and curative measures against the disease in the affected communities.

The director, however, stated that the ministry had administered treatment on many of the victims.

According to her, the victims have been receiving antibiotics, intravenous fluids (IVF) and oral rehydration therapy (ORT) for effective treatment and cure against the scourge.

“We have deployed experts in those communities for wider coverage,” she said.

Laori cautioned residents of the affected communities against open defecation as well as eating and drinking of contaminated food and water.

She advised residents in the state to intensify basic hygiene, hand washing and clean environment.

The director said that World Health Organisation (WHO) had recently donated anti-cholera drugs worth millions of naira, as part of its efforts to support the ongoing cholera response activities in the state.

Similarly, she said that the state had recorded 16 established cases of monkey pox in 12 local government areas, although with no loss of life.

According to her, some of the affected local government areas are: Girei, Michika, Mayo Belwa, Tongo, Yola North and Yola South.

Laori stated that the ministry had since embarked on aggressive house-to-house sensitisation against the disease.

“We are presently dealing with the 102 suspected cases of the disease, out of which only two were established,” she said.

She lauded the efforts of the state government for taking proactive measures against such eventualities through supply of drugs, provision of logistics and other relevant initiatives in promoting health issues.

The director stated that the Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri-led administration had recently established four additional cottage hospitals in Lamurde, Shelleng and two other local government areas with a view to increasing access to health care delivery.

Laori said that government had been forthcoming in organising capacity building, training and retraining of health personnel, to boost their performances.

“Hundreds of nurses, medical doctors and pharmacists were recently recruited and deployed in existing facilities across urban and rural communities,” she stated. (NAN)